Can I put in pasture after wheat?

[Welshmom]

Hi, all

My question concerns what/how to plant after winter wheat? We are in zone 5, south central Wisconsin, Dane County. My soil is pretty decent, loamy, though there are some sandy spots.

I know I want it in pasture. I will have both pigs and cattle. I have tried talking to my extension agent about pasture mixes, and the guy is really a corn/soybeans/alfalfa guy. He didn't really have anything beyond "put some alfalfa and orchardgrass out there' He knows nothing of grazing and the different requirements.

I'm looking for specific info on varities that might be good in this area, and whether I can seed them in yet this year. Late maturing orchardgrass? Some meadow fescue in there? My neighbor will be taking off his wheat, and then the land reverts to me. He did frost seed some red clover in the wheat this Spring, but I haven't seen much of it yet.

Anyone in this type of soil/growing area have any input on what you would or would not use? Is it too late to seed? I know I can call a Barenburg or other such rep., but I wanted to hear from folks who were actually using stuff out here.

I know anything I put out there is going to need some rain, but we haven't had much of that in the last few weeks, hope that changes!

[genebo]

Our grazier's club highly reccomends winter wheat as a way to aerate, till and water your soil. When those deep wheat roots die, they leave lots of tubes in the sloi for water to rise.

If you're going the plant wheat again next winter, you'll want to plant a summer annual that is reasonable cheap to seed and will produce well in a single summer.

Pearl millet is a good, fast growing crop that doesn't set prussic acid. It is very drought resistant and can be cut multiple times. Cows love the stuff. It's sweet.

Brown mid-rib is similar, but the seed costs more and you have to be careful not to over-fertilize it.

Alfalfa doesn't do well the first year. Orchardgrass is a summer perennial that doesn't last too many years. Fescue is a cool season grass that is best planted the same times as winter wheat, so it would be in competition with the wheat and nearly dormant during the hot months.

Contact the USDA. They run programs like EQIP, that pays people to plant grasses to prevent erosion. They not only know what will do best in your area, they probably already have a pamphlet on it.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[haypoint]

It is not too late to broadcast clover or alfalfa. Alfalfa doesn't take off real fast, but it persists longerr than clover.
In my area, grasses come up no matter what you plant, so I don't have to add timothy to my pasture mix.
If the soil's ph is low (acid) you will want to plant birdsfoot trefoil. It lasts and lasts, has a feed value like alfalfa and can stand low ph better than alfalfa and clover.
For extending the fall pasture you can plant turnips. The tops aren't effected by early frosts and provide high quality forage.
In zone 4 you need to seed clover and treefoil by the first of August. You should be able to plant a bit later, but not much. Get your seed and get ready to plant as soon as the wheat comes off.

[Chixarecute]

Birdsfoot is a great legume, but can be hard to establish, and doesn't take steady grazing well - rotational is better for it (at least the varieties available back in the '80's). We'll use timothy & brome in our mixes here, along with a little alfalfa and or clover, but we are harvesting for horse hay.

If the clover "caught", it won't really take off until the wheat is harvested - too much competition for sun & moisture.

Ask your ag agent to find out from another agent who DOES do pastures - my goodness - Wisconsin has such a strong dairy grazier's network there has to be an extension agent who has some knowledge. Our co-op/feed mill manager is also a huge wealth of accurate advice.

If you haven't had the soil tested, you should, for about $15 you'll get good information. You'll have to take the samples yourself, mail it in, and it takes about 2 weeks to get results. (feed mill should have kits) It will provide good info about mineral content - both high and low - which can impact how well the planting does. At least you can add amendments for too low. not much we can do in WI for the high phosphorous, tho!